The University Doctoral Study Programme in Applied Economics and Business is a newly designed, three-year programme delivered entirely in English at the Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, University of Split. It is built around a personalised approach, giving each doctoral candidate a tailored reading list and academic freedom in their research, guided throughout by a supervisor and, from the second year, a co-supervisor.

The programme focuses on developing advanced research competences and the preparation of high-quality doctoral theses. Its curriculum combines individually tailored theoretical coursework — such as Selection of Texts from a Broader Field of Research and Selection of Texts from a Narrower Field of Research — with a broad range of methodological courses covering both quantitative and qualitative methods, promoting interdisciplinarity and innovation. Compared to the previous doctoral programme, the reformed curriculum rationalises the number of courses, places greater emphasis on methodological and research skills, and gives candidates more flexibility to focus on their own research priorities.

Delivery in English reflects the programme's international orientation: it is designed to prepare candidates for the global academic labour market, connect them with international literature and lecturers, support researcher mobility, and open the Faculty to the international academic environment. The Faculty has already secured letters of intent for collaboration from professors at institutions including the University of Amsterdam, the London School of Economics, MIT Sloan School of Management, Vienna University of Economics and Business, and Cardiff University, among others.

The programme concludes with the preparation and public defence of a doctoral dissertation, following two Doctoral Seminars in which candidates present and then refine their research proposal before the Doctoral Study Committee.